Helping New Jersey Residents Breathe Easier 

By Jean Oxendine


Closing the Gap, Supporting State Offices of Minority Health • September/October 2000


Asthma was the primary diagnosis for 13 percent of African 

American children hospitalized in New Jersey in 1997, according to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). 

During the same period, seven percent of Latino children of the same 

age group (1-14 years) were hospitalized with asthma. 

The problem is not limited to New Jersey. Asthma is the most 

common chronic illness of childhood, afflicting more than 4.4 million 

American children, and is generally managed 

via outpatient care and, occasionally, emergency 

Other activities 

The NJOMH asthma project had other accomplishments, including: 

•	 Developing a partnership with faith-based organizations to promote community outreach and education in African American 

and Latino communities in the three targeted cities; 

• Training and presenting 21 community 

health promoters and coordinators with their 

room visits. Hospitalization for asthma indi- Asthma is the most common certificates of achievement to document the 

cates severe disease and may suggest that the chronic illness of childhood, “train the trainer” asthma intervention project; 

child hasn’t had adequate care from a physi- • Establishing the first New Jersey Mician who can help control asthma. Children afflicting more than 4.4 nority Health Network on Asthma committed 

who live in poorer neighborhoods continue to million American children... to the treatment, education, and prevention of 

have higher rates of hospitalization for asthma 

than others. 

Statistics also show that between 1989 and 1991, African American children had higher rates of asthma than White children did at 

every level of socioeconomic status. 

In 1998 the state of New Jersey decided to begin combating 

asthma in minority communities. With a $30,000 grant from the 

federal Office of Minority Health, the New Jersey Office of Minority 

Health (NJOMH) was able to develop and implement a communitybased asthma project. The asthma initiative—conducted from August 1998 to July 1999—aimed to increase awareness through outreach, education, and training racial and ethnic minorities in three 

cities in New Jersey. 

“The program was very popular,” said Gilbert Ongwenyi, a research scientist with the NJOMH. “Even though the funding has 

ended, we continue to help the community with questions and concerns about asthma,” he said. 

Churches Lend Support 

In an effort to increase the community involvement for the asthma 

project, NJOMH formed a partnership with Metropolitan Ecumenical Ministry (MEM), a statewide, faith-based coalition of religious 

organizations that foster health promotion ministries among 

underserved communities in New Jersey. 

MEM gathered local religious organizations to serve as health 

information centers where community health promoters provided 

outreach and support services to individuals. (See Closing the Gap, 

August 2000, p. 4, Lay Health Workers) 

The asthma outreach project consisted of 21 community health 

promoters and health coordinators from local churches. Participants 

received in-depth training in asthma education and prevention. Community health promoters conducted 42 presentations in 

the three targeted cities—Newark, New Brunswick, and 

Trenton. Nearly 800 individuals were reached. 

asthma in New Jersey; 

• Developing a bilingual (English and 

Spanish) Asthma Resource Directory; producing an Asthma Fact 

Sheet and an Asthma Training Manual for use in this asthma 

prevention project; and 

•	 Providing recommendations to the New Jersey Department of 

Health and Senior Services Commissioner to establish the Asthma 

Network as a permanent committee in order to sustain activities 

related to asthma and to incorporate asthma in the Healthy New 

Jersey 2010 initiatives. 

The Asthma Resource directory is free of charge and provides 

information on organizations that offer asthma services in Newark, 

New Brunswick, Trenton, and their surrounding communities. Information is provided on each individual organization, including the 

type of organization and specific asthma outreach and education services. 

“The Resource Directory is very popular. We have recently made 

additional copies of the Spanish version, due to great interest,” said 

Ongwenyi. NJOMH also distributes copies of the directory to consumers. 

As part of an Asthma Forum held at a church in New Brunswick, 

community health promoters and members of church leadership determined that the asthma health promotion effort enhanced the community health and wellness in each target city. The Forum allowed 

community members who had participated in the project to present 

their impressions of the project and community receptiveness to the 

program, said Ongwenyi. Giving one-on-one information on asthma 

was a key part of the project, according to forum members. Attendees 

also said the project was well received by Latino and African American 

communities in the three cities. Community leaders encouraged the 

continuation of the project. 

The Forum allowed community health promoters to share firsthand their involvement with the project. Ongwenyi said, 

as a result of the project, community members became 

interested in other asthma resources, such as where to go 

continued on page 2>>>> 

Office of Minority Health Resource Center	 1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 
Helping New Jersey Residents Breathe Easier 

By Jean Oxendine


Closing the Gap, Supporting State Offices of Minority Health • September/October 2000


for help and what to do about problems with asthma. 

After funding for this project ended, the NJOMH asked the 

Division of Family Health Services of the New Jersey Department of 

Health to continue the asthma project. The NJOMH asked that the 

Division of Family Health Services continue to involve community 

members who were involved in the Minority Health Network on 

Asthma from the start. “We wanted to ensure that there should be a 

community presence,” said Ongwenyi. 

To ensure that minorities who are most in need of asthma services 

are not left by the wayside, the NJOMH wanted key people from this 

project to go on to the next phase. “We know that the focus is going to 

be on a larger scale, but we don’t want to completely dilute the minority presence,” said Ongwenyi. 

For more information, contact the New Jersey Office of Minority 

Health at (609) 292-6962. The Resource Directory is available on line 

at: http://www.state.nj.us/health/ commiss/omh/asthma/.

Office of Minority Health Resource Center 2 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services